MLDC: SHAZAM, Equestria's Mightest Mare!

by Michael_Ravencroft


Project Erroria Arc Part 1: A New Start & New Worries

Cheerilee was busy preparing for the last day of school. Summer vacation for the foals of Ponyville would start tomorrow and that meant it would mean a lot more time with Scootaloo. It had been almost a year now since Cheerilee took in the pegasus filly, although, soon she wouldn’t be calling her a filly for much longer. In one month Scootaloo’s birthday would come around, and she’d make that transition from tween filly into a teenage mare. The earth pony mare sighed, she could hardly believe it was about to be a year since she took her in.

Since taking in the young filly, Cheerilee had been so nervous, especially when she, Twilight, and Mrs. Milano found out about the abuse that Scootaloo had endured. The thought that somepony had hurt her, violated her, made Cheerilee’s blood boil. Cheerilee prayed to Faust that the day never came when Scootaloo’s abuser showed their face in Ponyville.

Because when they do I’m going to –!

“Morning Miss Cheerilee…”

The maroon mare snapped to attention at the sound of Scootaloo’s voice, quickly gazing towards the stairs to watch the orange filly walk down, half drowsy.

“Good morning Scootaloo, did you sleep well?”

“Uh-huh, I think I talked to Princess Luna in one of my dreams, but not sure it that was the dream or if she did come to me though?”

Cheerilee’s eyes widened slightly at hearing that Princess Luna may’ve visited the young one in her dreams, which wouldn’t be too odd seeing as she was the Princess of the Night, the Dream Walker. Cheerilee waited until Scootaloo had gotten to the table and set their breakfast down before asking any specifics.

“So, what did you two talk about, if you don’t mind me asking dear?”

“Oh…Well, it’s not like this was the first time she’s visited me in my dreams. One time she helped get over a nightmare while I was out camping with my friends, their sisters, and Rainbow Dash. Stuff happened, and in the end it was how me and Dash –”

“Dash and I.” Cheerilee corrected.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes at the correction. “Dash and I became sisters. But this time…she uh, came to apologize to me…”

Cheerilee raised an inquisitive eyebrow at that statement. “Apologize for what?”

Scootaloo became a little hesitant to answer, but in the end she sighed and relented.

“To apologize for not helping me with…you know…that.”

Cheerilee cursed herself mentally. The investigation into Scootaloo’s abuser was still going on, thankfully they were able to determine that it was nopony in Ponyville, but that it was someone in Vanhoover that was the guilty culprit. Unfortunately that was all the information Scootaloo would give them, they believed it was enough to go on, for now, not wanting to traumatize the young filly any more than she already was. Cheerilee knew that the Special Investigations Division submitted reports not only to Twilight, but higher up to the Princesses. Princess Luna in particular took interest in the wellbeing of the foals of Equestria, seeing as they were the ones who so happily accepted her back. Cheerilee believed that Princess Luna might have blamed herself for not doing something to help Scootaloo sooner.

“I told her it wasn’t her fault, I was keeping it a secret, even from myself. Burying it so I wouldn’t have to remember. But now she’s promised to do whatever she can to help, even if it’s just to give me peaceful dreams.”

“That’s very gracious of her, you’ll have to send a letter to her and thank the Princess properly.”

Scootaloo nodded her affirmation and went to eating her breakfast.

It was still weird for her, living with Cheerilee, it wasn’t like she didn’t enjoy it, and her house wasn’t overly big, but just right for the two of them. She wasn’t going to lie, it was a little awkward living together, Scootaloo was used to leaving school, hanging out with her friends, and at the end of the day heading back to Wayward House. Now though, whenever she came back it was to Cheerilee’s house. More than once she accidentally went to Wayward House instead of Cheerilee’s, having to get used to the routine of learning where she lived. In fact, the two of them had to walk home together more than once until it just became muscle memory to go that way.

“Once we’re done we’ll head out,” said Cheerilee.

“Oh c’mon, it’s still early. Can’t I just lock up by myself and you go on ahead?” Scootaloo asked.

“Nope, you’ve had good attendance lately, and I’m not about to let that stop even if it’s the last day of school.”

Scootaloo slumped her shoulders and groaned in indignation. One of the benefits of living with a teacher was that she never was late to school, the downside, she was always early.


LATER AT SCHOOL…

The last day of school was off to a good start, everypony had made it to class and Cheerilee’s last lectures and assignments of the school year were underway. Unlike before, Scootaloo now sat at the front row, it was embarrassing since all her classmates knew that Miss Cheerilee had adopted Scootaloo, thankfully that was all they knew.

She understood it was so she could be closer to her, and honestly, she didn’t mind it too much, for Scootaloo, it was nice having a grownup that cared like Miss Cheerilee, that’s not to say that the other pony’s in her life didn’t care about her either, but it was different with Cheerilee, it was the kind of care that she missed in her younger foalhood years. The care and love that came unconditionally from a parent.

Scootaloo had more than once tried to call Cheerilee “Mom”, but it always came out awkward and forced, but the older mare assured Scootaloo that she didn’t have to call her “Mom” if she didn’t want to. Cheerilee went on further to tell Scootaloo that she only had to call her that if it felt right, until then she could just keep calling her Miss Cheerilee or just Cheerilee. She wondered if she could call her Cheers like her sister, Berry Punch, did. For some reason Cheerilee got red in the face and said that that was a personal nickname between sisters, the details of which she didn’t want to get into.

Soon the recess bell rang and all the foals were let out to go and play. Scootaloo had met up with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and having added a new member to their group, Aura. The purple earth filly was very energetic, just as Scootaloo had warned, and proved to be helpful in thinking of new ways for them to earn their cutie marks. Even though she already had hers, she still remained in the CMC, their goal was for all of them to find their special talents and get their cutie marks, so the crusade wasn’t over for Scootaloo, not just yet.

“Hey have you guys seen Alula?” Scootaloo asked.

“I think she went to the little filly’s room when we were let out,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Oh alright, let’s find a ball so we can have some fun around here!”

“What the hay!?”

Many of the young ponies turned their heads towards the school building. Scootaloo’s senses were telling her something was up, she flared her wings and zipped into the air, flying above the others to get to whatever it was. Although she had told everypony at her cutecenera that the lightning bolt symbolized her fast flying skills, which she was happy to find out that flight was the added bonus, it was only a lie to hide its true meaning. It was the symbol of her alter ego, the symbol that forever marked her as a hero, the hero known as Shazam.

Scootaloo rounded the corner and slowed to a hover, her eyes widening at what she was seeing before her. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were standing there gawking dumbfounded at Alula. The vanilla colored filly’s horn was in the middle of retracting back into her skull, while on her sides two pegasus wings were beginning to sprout. Alula tried to cover herself, but there was nothing nearby for her to duck behind, she was completely exposed. After about ten seconds the transformation was complete, her horn was completely gone and her wings popped out into existence, causing a few of her loose feathers to cascade and flutter to the ground.

“OMG, did…did you just turn into a pegasus?!” Diamond Tiara asked.

“I…I…”

“You saw that right?! She turned into a pegasus, she was a unicorn earlier, right Silver Spoon?!”

“I saw, she was! What kind of freaky magic spell did you cast?!” Silver Spoon asked.

Alula was too shocked and scared to say anything, her secret of being able to randomly change her physical appearance between each of the pony tribes had been found out by two of school’s most infamous fillies, no way was this not going to be spread to the others.

“Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, please don’t tell anypony what you saw!” Alula begged.

“Don’t tell anypony?! Are you nuts?! You just turned into a pegasus!”

“Yeah, what are you?! I didn’t see your horn glowing when you changed, all unicorns’ horns glow when they use magic, so why wasn’t yours when you changed?!” Diamond Tiara demanded.      

That was as much as Scootaloo could stand before she flew off the roof of the building and landed between Alula and the two bullies.

“Okay that’s enough with the questions, just move along Diamond.” Scootaloo ordered.

Alula felt her spirits raise, as well as her heart rate, at seeing the pegasus filly she admired. But it did not last as the rest of the foals had gathered behind Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, all with curious looks at what was transpiring. Fear gripped Alula, making her cower and hide as much of herself behind Scootaloo’s body and flared wings.

“Oh look it’s her.”

Scootaloo could see and hear the contempt in Diamond Tiara’s voice. Ever since she earned her cutie mark, the bully filly could say nothing back to her, not about being a blank flank or being unable to fly, and now she had no snappy or hurtful comeback to throw at Scootaloo. It annoyed Scootaloo that even though she had her cutie mark and could fly now, it was like Diamond Tiara wouldn’t – couldn’t accept it. For a long time now she had mocked the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Scootaloo especially, and now she had proved everything she said about her was wrong. Because if Scootaloo was able to do it, then it wasn’t a stretch to believe that the others would get theirs too.

“Yeah me, Scootaloo, I have name remember?! So now that we have that established, why don’t you two take a hike.”

“Like hay we are! Did you not see that?! She turned into a pegasus! And that’s not the first time either!”

“Yeah, why is it that there are some months that she’ll have wings and other times a horn?! It’s not natural, right?!” Silver Spoon asked, looking to the crowd of foals.

Soon the other foals began to talk amongst themselves, their voices carrying to the ears of both Scootaloo and Alula.

“Well I have seen her with wings before.”  

“Yeah, but other times she did have a horn.”

“That can’t be right, you’re only born with one or the other, or neither.”

“But the Princesses are alicorns, and they’re supposed to be, like, all three tribes in one right?”

“But their alicorns, they were born that way.”

“Yeah, they don’t switch between all three.”

Diamond Tiara glared at Alula like some grand inquisitor of a witch hunt, and Scootaloo could make out just the faintest traces of a smirk on the other side of that glare.

“See I knew it, now fess up! Are you a changeling?!” Diamond accused.

The others gasped and went wide eyed at the accusation, Scootaloo glared back at Diamond and Silver Spoon, normally this was about the point where Scootaloo would punch out the pink earth pony filly for saying something like that. But recent events have proven that such methods lead to less than favorable results for her. Plus, it wasn’t just Scootaloo who’d get in trouble, Mrs. Milano and the adoption officials might think that Cheerilee wasn’t doing a good job at helping Scootaloo and might take her back. Which wasn’t a bad thing, Wayward House was a good place, but there was no guarantee that they’d let her go back. Luckily she didn’t have to do anything as Aura was the one to step to the defense of Alula as well.

“Now hold on, I’ve lived with Alula just as long as Scootaloo has, and she’s definitely NOT a changeling! Besides, do you really have any proof that she changed?” Aura countered.

The other foals all looked to Diamond Tiara. Her eyes shifted between the crowd and three ponies in front of them.

“Well…I…!”

“So that’d be a no then?” Scootaloo asked sarcastically.

“Hey, I saw it too!” Silver Spoon shouted.

“Oh yeah, her best friend and partner in crime, and we’re supposed to believe you because…?” Aura let the question hang in the air intentionally.

That seemed to shut Silver Spoon right up, the gray earth pony filly couldn’t think of anything to say back, since it was in fact true.

“Thought so, why don’t you guys just walk away so you don’t embarrass yourselves anymore,” said Scootaloo.

Diamond Tiara growled in annoyance, turning around and storming off through the crowd of foals, with Silver Spoon following right behind her. With the spectacle over with, Aura, Scootaloo, and Alula let out a sigh of relief.

“I’ll just go and fill in AB and Sweetie, see ya in a bit!” Aura said as she trotted away.

Scootaloo looked back to Alula, the vanilla colored – now pegasus – filly looking very vulnerable at the moment.

“You okay Alula?”

“Not really…Diamond and Silver saw me change…I was okay with you knowing, but them! They won’t let it go Scoots, they’ll try and catch me changing again, and next time they might have a camera or something!”

“First off: they wish! The only pony who could get shots like that is Featherweight and –” Scootaloo tapped into her mystical power, throwing out a minuet wave of energy like a radar system. “He’s nowhere around.”

“But what if she gets him to take pictures! You know how good he is at getting pictures like that!”

Scootaloo knew all too well how good he was, her time in the Foal Free Press saw to that. The young filly walked up to Alula, and placed a hoof on her withers.

“I’m sorry Alula, this is partially my fault. Diamond Tiara’s got nothing to make fun of me and my friends with anymore, so she’s probably on the lookout for somepony else to target. You know, the offer still stands, you can join the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and she won’t bother you as much if we’re around.”

Alula smiled at Scootaloo. “Thanks, but it’s alright. The Crusaders is yours and your friends’ club.”

“And you’re not my friend?”

Alula’s eyes went wide. “Nonononono! That’s not what I meant, I –”

“Chill Alula, I know what you meant. But still, it’s not like you’d be a fifth wheel or anything, heck, it’d probably be good to have another pony to bounce ideas off of. Aura’s been making sure that there’s no end to the stuff we can do to find our marks!”

Alula smiled at that, briefly glancing to Scootaloo’s flank. She remembered when Scootaloo told them about her cutie mark, she admired the pegasus filly for her perseverance. No matter how hard it got, Scootaloo would always try, going at it with all her heart to defy what others said about her wings and her ability to fly. And it was rewarded with that lightning bolt, emblazoned onto her fur, right on her well-toned flanks and athletic body…

Where the hay did that come from?! 

“Hey Alula, you alright?” Scootaloo asked.

“I wasn’t staring at your flank!” Alula blurted out.

Scootaloo blushed at hearing that, causing Alula to clamp her mouth shut and stare at the grass below her hooves. The orange filly chuckled nervously, the entire situation becoming awkward now that Alula said that. And for some reason, Scootlaoo felt kind of giddy that Alula said that, a weird kind of giddy that made her heart pump a little faster.

“Well…uh…ahem…We-We better get back to the playground, I don’t want to worry the girls,” said Scootaloo.

“Y-Yeah, okay, sure!” Alula agreed.

Both fillies started walking back to the playground, not noticing that, on the other end of the wall, Aura was peeking in on the scene, hearing every word that Alula and Scootaloo were saying. By the end of the whole thing she face hoofed herself, dragging it down her face and groaning in annoyance of her two friends.

“OH COME ON?!”


LATER THAT DAY…

“Really Discord, you don’t have to keep saying you’re sorry. That’s usually my thing,” said Fluttershy.

The shy pegasus mare was outside her cottage, having her usual tea time with the Spirit of Chaos himself Discord, and Twilight deciding to enjoy this great day, joined them. The draconequss was filled with regret for not having entered the battle in Manethattan, after hearing about how Fluttershy, her friends, and the Princesses, all fell at the hooves of the stallion known as Black Adam. When he saw the injuries dealt to Fluttershy a few days after the battle, the master of chaos was infuriated, his only regret then was that he didn’t get the chance to dispense his own thrashing on the rogue, but he supposed this “Shazam” mare did the job for him, at the very least she saved Fluttershy.

“Still, I wish I was there, then you wouldn’t have had to fight at all!”

“Well, to be fair Discord, I’m not sure your powers would’ve been nearly as effective on him,” said Twilight.  

“Oh pish posh! One snap of my claw and he’d be a puddle of goo! Or at the very least skewered by a thousand swords raining down from the sky! Oooh, and they’d all be on fire!” Discord exclaimed.

“Why do you seem so sure Twilight? I mean, it was odd that Black Adam’s powers were connected in a way to our Harmony magic. But Discord has hidden away the Elements of Harmony once before, and almost choked the Tree of Harmony with Plunder Vines.” Fluttershy blushed as she looked up to Discord. “No offense.”

“Eh, hakuna matata,” replied Discord as he took a sip of the tea, only to have the cup disappear instead of the tea itself.

“Yes, but…It’s kind of hard to explain, I’ve been doing a lot of research…so much research…endless books of research…so many books…!”

Discord and Fluttershy scooted from Twilight, watching her face form into something that was colloquially called the “O” face, also she was drooling a bit.

“Oh, I was meaning to ask you, are you almost ready for your meeting with the Neighponese Princess tomorrow?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight snapped herself out of her reverie and smiled sheepishly at both her friends.

“Sorry, and yes! Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are busy with the Manehattan rebuild. Plus they said it was time – now that I have my own castle and official title – to involve myself more directly in negotiations with the Equestrian Territories. Personally I’m a little nervous, but excited that I’m finally contributing more as a Princess!”

“So you’re nervexcited?” Discord asked while chewing on the tea that he didn’t drink earlier.

“Yep!”

“Want me to help with that? I do have a knack for making stuffy negotiations livelier!”

Twilight glanced to Fluttershy nervously. “Discord, let’s let Twilight do this on her own. Maybe next time you can assist, but you have to keep your magic under control. Promise?”

Discord harrumphed, but smiled and conceded to Fluttershy’s request with a nod. Just then they heard a noise coming from up above them. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Discord looked up and saw Rainbow Dash of all ponies flying in. Landing a couple of feet away from the table.

“Hey Flutters, Twi…Discord.”

“Hello to you Rainbow Dash! Would you care for some cucumber sandwiches?” Discord offered, stretching his tail towards Rainbow while the fluff at the end acted as hand to hold the tray.

Rainbow Dash eyed the sandwiches dubiously, but gently pushed them away. “Sorry not really hungry.”

“Still haven’t forgiven me about the Tirek thing have you?”

“You made Fluttershy cry.” Rainbow Dash stated.

Discord’s gaze was downcast, feeling an icy dagger stab his heart at the memory of his greatest folly. Betraying the one friend he ever had and acting so nonchalant about her sorrow over the betrayal. Fluttershy placed her hoof on his eagle claw, rubbing soothing circles around it as she gave Rainbow Dash a stern look.

“Rainbow that’s not fair, I’ve forgiven him for that. You should too, besides, Discord was the one who stayed behind to guard the Tree of Harmony! If Black Adam knew about it, who knows what he could’ve done to it if Discord wasn’t there!”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “He’d probably mop the floor with him.”

“Rainbow!”

“Guys, guys, enough!” Twilight intervened. “Discord’s past transgressions haven’t been forgotten, but he’s working towards earning our forgiveness. As friends, Rainbow, we should at least give him that much.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, she knew Twilight was right, but the draconequss had hurt her oldest friend in a way that she just couldn’t forgive. A lot of things made Fluttershy cry, mostly from fear and anxiety, but on that day, she cried true tears of sorrow. Her trust, her friendship, her kindness, all spat on and thrown right back in Fluttershy’s face, and all for a chance to rule Equestria and go wild with chaos magic. Rainbow Dash almost laughed at how Discord got his magic stolen from him by Tirek, the betrayer being betrayed. Maybe it was because Rainbow’s element was Loyalty that she couldn’t forgive him entirely, the act of betrayal was the greatest offense to Loyalty, and by nature was often unforgivable.  

“Whatever…hey Twi, can I talk to you, in private?”

Twilight nodded, excusing herself from the table as she and Rainbow flew up into the sky. The alicorn and pegasus found a large cloud to lie and got cozy for whatever it was that Rainbow Dash wanted to talk about. Twilight spotted something that she didn’t notice earlier, it was a necklace, and on it was a gold lightning bolt suspended by a small chain-link.

“What’s that?” Twilight asked.

“What’s what?”

“That necklace you’re wearing.”

Rainbow Dash’s pupils reduced to the size of pinpricks, she quickly brought her hooves around her neck and tried to play it off.

“What necklace?! I don’t wear necklaces, that’s Rarity’s thing!”

Twilight deadpanned. “Rainbow Dash, it’s clearly hanging around your neck.”

“You lie! You liiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”  Rainbow Dash persisted.

“Rainbow, I can do this one of two ways. Either you tell me what the necklace is or I use a spell to phase the necklace through your hooves, which sounds better?”

Rainbow Dash knew Twilight could that, but she also knew that she might have a chance to get away before she did. In the end she let out a defeated sigh, the necklace was part of the reason she came to talk to her friend, although she didn’t want her to know about.

“Fine, here!” Rainbow Dash pulled her hooves away, displaying the lightning bolt medallion on it.

“Oooh, that looks nice. It’s clearly not your cutie mark, you only have one curve in your lightning bolt, so what’s it of? Is it from your special somepony?” Twilight teased.

“N-N-NO! It’s…It’s…*mumble*”

“What?”

“I said *mumble*”

“I’m sorry Rainbow you’re muttering or –”

“It’s Shazam’s insignia!”

Twilight blinked, now that she looked at it again the lightning bolt did match that of Scootaloo’s hero alter.

“Oh…okay, so what’s the big deal Rainbow, I’ve actually seen a few colts, fillies, and even grown ponies wearing some paraphernalia like that around town.”

“Yeah…okay, I’m a fan, but…I also admire her, Shazam I mean! She saved my flank and my teammates’, and again during that fight with Black Adam! I guess I…I…”

“Yeeeeessssss?” Twilight urged.

“Twilight I think I have crush on Shazam!”

Twilight’s brain shattered right then and there, her left eye twitching as she tried to pick up the pieces of her once brilliant mind and put them back together.

“I mean Shazam’s beyond awesome! She took out an entire group of terrorist ponies singlehoofedly! Saved me from getting electro-fried by that mask wearing freak, and was willing to sacrifice herself to save the ponies in the stadium! And there’s that fight against Black Adam, I was knocked out for most of it, but from what I heard it was EPIC!”

I’m sure “epic” isn’t the right word that some of the Manehattan ponies would use after having half of their city demolished. But never mind that, Rainbow Dash has a crush on Shazam – on Scootaloo! Granted she doesn’t know that Scootaloo is Shazam, and if I told her I have no doubt that she’d immediately drop it like a bad habit! But if I do, I’ll be revealing her secret identity, if too many ponies know about Scootaloo’s powers it’s bound to cause trouble, especially with the way Equestria divided on how to see her!

This was a fact, the Equestrians were divided on what to classify Shazam as. After having a super powered, psycho stallion alicorn nearly kill the Princesses and the Element bearers, and then a sixth alicorn mare appearing to do battle with said stallion and almost break Manehattan in two, ponies were starting to whip up conspiracies about the Princesses hiding more than one alicorn in the world. The backlash wasn’t as bad when Twilight ascended to alicorn, her time as Princess Celestia’s student and the times she and her friends saved Equestria have made the public more accepting of her alicorn status. But when two god-like alicorns appear and battle ferociously like they did, it starts to make ponies wonder.

“Twi, you in there? Twi?!”

Twilight shook her head, apparently having slipped into deep thought.

“S-Sorry Rainbow Dash, what were you saying?”

“I needed your advice. Is it bad that I’m crushing on Shazam like a damn schoolfilly?! I have these weird fantasies sometimes of Shazam saving me and taking me to – I don’t know – her ‘Fortress of Solitude’ or something!”

It’s actually called the Rock of Eternity.

“And then further in it she takes me into this giant room and we, ahem, you know.” Rainbow Dash was blushing, despite her confident smirk.

Twilight had to swallow a bit of bile that threatened to jettison itself from her mouth.

“And there’s another one when I see her and me fighting side by side and she asks me to be her partner in fighting bad guy butt! Those ones are pretty cool. Anyway, should I be worried about this? It’s not like the time we met Daring Do, I thought she was awesome, and she totally is, but now I can’t stop thinking about Shazam!”

Twilight tried to calm herself before she spoke. There were so many things she wanted to say to Rainbow Dash right now, a few involved calling her sick and a foalaphile, but since Rainbow Dash had absolutely no idea that Scootaloo was Shazam, she had no bases to call her those. Twilight had to keep reminding herself of this, and the fact that she needed to keep Scootaloo’s identity a secret.

“Well…Rainbow, it’s not at all unusual for somepony to develop romantic feelings for somepony who’s saved your life, in your case it was twice.”

“Three if you count that spell that almost killed everypony in the stadium.” Rainbow added.

“Yes, well like I said, it’s not unusual for something like that to happen. It’d be the same thing like the way Scootaloo looks up to you, and you did save her life once,” said Twilight.

Rainbow Dash imagined herself in Scootaloo’s place, looking up to somepony and wanting to be by their side. Although Rainbow wasn’t looking to be Shazam’s little sister, she was – admittedly – wanting to try and have something more romantic than that. Then Rainbow Dash had a startling revelation.

“Twi, you don’t think that Scootaloo’s the same way do you?!”

There was a shattering of glass, a sound that indicated that Twilight’s mind had been broken again. Now that it had been said, she wondered if Scootaloo was the same way?! What if she didn’t just have a simple case of Hero Worship and actually was trying to get closer to Rainbow Dash to try and have a romantic relationship?! And given the events of her past, there was a strong possibility that her views on love and romance might be skewed! To what degree was uncertain, but nevertheless there was a possibility.

“Um…I-I don’t think you have to worry about that Rainbow! Scootaloo’s just really happy around you, given that Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both have big sisters to rely on and help, she probably was seeking that in you more than anything.”

Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her chin. “Yeah…I could see that. But still, maybe I should talk to her about this, just in case that’s what’s going on.”

“It’s probably better if I do it, or that I’m there when and if you do so. It’s best to have somepony there to keep control of the situation if need be.”

“Yeah…Hey, thanks for the talk Twi. But, uh, I’m still crushin’ on Shazam, maybe you could introduce me if you get the chance?”

Twilight blinked. “Why me?”

“Well, you weren’t there when we woke up, and Shazam was the one who brought you and the fillies back to us after the fight was over. You kinda seemed chummy with her, but maybe that was just because you both were alicorns. Anyway, I’ll see ya later Twi!”

Rainbow Dash took off into the sky, leaving Twilight to contemplate what exactly she needed to do, and if there was anything to do in the first place.